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are neck injuries common in snowboarding?

22K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  Board Doctor 
#1 · (Edited)
with all those inverted tricks, are the chances of falling on your head high? i supposed you can never have enough protection. it's your neck after all. so i thought about wearing one of those neck braces motocross riders wear.


but it's incredibly awkward with snow jacket on. perhaps it's the particular model i tried on that didn't fit so well. then i tried on a neck nut. it's still awkward but not as much as the neck brace. since the neck nut is just foam, i wonder if it will actually protect the neck at all. on the other hand, some protection is better nothing at all.


i only snowboard with a full face motocross helmet now. after spending $5000 on ortho braces i certainly don't want to mess up my teeth if i face plant on a fun box.

what do you guys think?
 
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#2 ·
idk, but looks difficult to look over your leading shoulder. last year, biffed on a run I'd done 50 times, don't even remember biffing, don't think i lost consciousness (wareing a helmet) and thought I'd ripped my head off...at least muscles at the neck/base of skull on back left qtr, sharp tearing/burning pain...laid there probably 10 min, at first wondering if I bleeding into my neck/head, wondering if I'm going to die, thinking shit are they going to toboggan me down the chute (was aright about the opening) people yelling at me from the chair 1, if I was alright. eventually the searing pain began to dull, could taste blood but couldn't find any, could still move my arms and legs...other system check'd...slowly got up and rode away...sore neck for a couple of weeks.
 
#3 ·
wow that's nuts. what trick were you doing? you could taste blood? maybe you bit yourself in the mouth a little?


as for head mobility, i read many reviews on neck braces, the major brand is called LEATT, and many people say they don't even know they're wearing it. since the freestyle mx guys do those crazy tricks too and wear those braces, i think it doesn't restrict your head movement that much. the only catch is that they don't need to wear a bulky snow jacket lol
 
#4 ·
Doesn't seem like it offers a whole lot of protection for the type of impact you'd be taking if you managed to land on your head. Keep in mind that unless you are tying to lawn dart, you're probably going to avoid landing on your head anyway. Seems a bit much to me, but you never know.

Broken necks are not that common either. Then again, what you have to do to get on injury like that is not something you casual rider is going to try. Hell, I haven't messed around with flips in 6 years.
 
#5 ·
lol what is lawn dart?

yeah i'm only considering neck protection is because this whole summer i've been practicing cork 5 and bs rodeo 5 on a trampoline and i want to take it in the terrain park. then attend a few amateur comps with those trick and see how i do. so i want to reduce the potential of getting injured. i already wear a back protector and that has saved me 3 times already last season. where i snowboard there isn't an air bag to keep you safe from experimenting with new tricks, nor a foam pit shaun white has.

now if i can protect my neck too i'd be pretty much indestructible, within reason Lol
 
#9 ·
with all those inverted tricks, are the chances of falling on your head high? i supposed you can never have enough protection. it's your neck after all. so i thought about wearing one of those neck braces motocross riders wear.


what do you guys think?
I've been thinking about those too. Many BMX riders are wearing those. I saw a number of top riders wearing them during Crankworx this summer.

Someone I know has started wearing one and a ff BMX helmet. The necknut looks like it doesn't offer full protection.

Here's Brandon using that setup.

YouTube - Brandon Schmit Woodward at Copper.mov
 
#10 ·
with all those inverted tricks, are the chances of falling on your head high? i supposed you can never have enough protection. it's your neck after all. so i thought about wearing one of those neck braces motocross riders wear.


but it's incredibly awkward with snow jacket on. perhaps it's the particular model i tried on that didn't fit so well. then i tried on a neck nut. it's still awkward but not as much as the neck brace. since the neck nut is just foam, i wonder if it will actually protect the neck at all. on the other hand, some protection is better nothing at all.


i only snowboard with a full face motocross helmet now. after spending $5000 on ortho braces i certainly don't want to mess up my teeth if i face plant on a fun box.

what do you guys think?
Hello, I’m also looking at getting one of these neck braces - I’ve had concussions and whiplash in the past, not boarding related though.
been a long battle with rehab and going back to work etc. don’t want another injury!

but still love riding across open areas,
going to the snow next week..

did you know whiplash only needs 4G forces to cause similar injury symptoms as a head on collision eg. 120G forces for concussion

so I’m wanting something to prevent hyper flexion or extension , in the event someone else bowls into me or something. I’m confident in my own ability, usually pretty careful and have been boarding 23 years, skied near 8years before that

but accidents happen anyhow

I see you’ve said it’s a bit awkward with snow jacket, so I’m thinking there must be SOME WAY surely

thoughts appreciated!
 
#11 ·
Hello, I’m also looking at getting one of these neck braces - I’ve had concussions and whiplash in the past, not boarding related though.
been a long battle with rehab and going back to work etc. don’t want another injury!

but still love riding across open areas,
going to the snow next week..

did you know whiplash only needs 4G forces to cause similar injury symptoms as a head on collision eg. 120G forces for concussion

so I’m wanting something to prevent hyper flexion or extension , in the event someone else bowls into me or something. I’m confident in my own ability, usually pretty careful and have been boarding 23 years, skied near 8years before that

but accidents happen anyhow

I see you’ve said it’s a bit awkward with snow jacket, so I’m thinking there must be SOME WAY surely

thoughts appreciated!
IMO, I think it would restrict your ability to turn your head, and consequently restrict your peripheral vision and ability to do quick head checks uphill and when merging with another trail.

You could look into the strengthening exercises that Rugby Union players do to to protect their necks



 
#12 ·
That shits going to cause more problems than it's worth for an injury that effects less than 1% of the snowboarding population. I say this after 25 years of riding park and landing on my neck and head more than everyone in this thread combined. Sure a freak accident can happen but that happens with anything, I actually know a local guy that's paralyzed from a freak impact that snapped his neck back. He literally caught an edge on a slide out and it did it, meanwhile I've pile driven my head into sheet ice from 20 feet up and got up and rode away. Strength training is more vital there's a reason I have a steak neck and overly large shoulders and back muscles. I can take a slam better and being 40 it isn't exactly easy to ride shit out anymore.

This is the way I would look at it, are you going around 3 times inverted off an 80 foot mega booter? Yes, then you have a skill set no one on here possesses and you know what you're doing. Going inverted once and riding it out from a simple back flip, rodeo, or inverted trick? You still possess a greater understanding of aerial awareness than those on here and know the risk vs. reward and are fine. Never gone inverted and probably only will when you catch your edge on the sheet ice lip of a "giant" 15 foot jump, then maybe you'll get some whiplash and a concussion and learn the hard way.
 
#22 ·
That shits going to cause more problems than it's worth for an injury that effects less than 1% of the snowboarding population. I say this after 25 years of riding park and landing on my neck and head more than everyone in this thread combined. Sure a freak accident can happen but that happens with anything, I actually know a local guy that's paralyzed from a freak impact that snapped his neck back. He literally caught an edge on a slide out and it did it, meanwhile I've pile driven my head into sheet ice from 20 feet up and got up and rode away. Strength training is more vital there's a reason I have a steak neck and overly large shoulders and back muscles. I can take a slam better and being 40 it isn't exactly easy to ride shit out anymore.

This is the way I would look at it, are you going around 3 times inverted off an 80 foot mega booter? Yes, then you have a skill set no one on here possesses and you know what you're doing. Going inverted once and riding it out from a simple back flip, rodeo, or inverted trick? You still possess a greater understanding of aerial awareness than those on here and know the risk vs. reward and are fine. Never gone inverted and probably only will when you catch your edge on the sheet ice lip of a "giant" 15 foot jump, then maybe you'll get some whiplash and a concussion and learn the hard way.
Did the guy who broke his neck have a helmet on or no?
 
#13 ·
Hello Thankyou , I havent got one of these braces, still thinking on it. Plus looks like weather will be rainy in our area and my parents aren’t sure if we’ll go. I might try the soft brace and see if that helps, I know it probably won’t do much, but I’m guessing better than nothing extra (plus I already have one, so I’m not losing anything by trying it, and I can always take it off and put in camelpak if too annoying)… see how the week goes!
Thankyou for your time and interaction, will let you know if it’s good :)
 
#15 ·
Burton Avenger…. I hope you’re never in the unlucky 1%

Being in a position where valuing your health as the most important thing we ever have in life! I happen to be in a small percentage of people where an injury has significantly changed my life and I can no longer work full time or in the job that I enjoyed.

Currently I’m not sure if I can actually board, but being on the slopes is a fundamental part of who we are, and for my family, and as gutting as it feels to not be up there- I’m trying to find a safer way to still enjoy in some capacity.
Finding a way to reduce potential harm would be better than not boarding at all, or becoming worse off than where I’ve been.
cause it ain’t fun rebuilding your life- a lot of hard work and dedication. invested too much to just go be careless.

maybe think before saying things in the way you have.
good luck
 
#16 ·
Burton Avenger…. I hope you’re never in the unlucky 1%

Being in a position where valuing your health as the most important thing we ever have in life! I happen to be in a small percentage of people where an injury has significantly changed my life and I can no longer work full time or in the job that I enjoyed.

Currently I’m not sure if I can actually board, but being on the slopes is a fundamental part of who we are, and for my family, and as gutting as it feels to not be up there- I’m trying to find a safer way to still enjoy in some capacity.
Finding a way to reduce potential harm would be better than not boarding at all, or becoming worse off than where I’ve been.
cause it ain’t fun rebuilding your life- a lot of hard work and dedication. invested too much to just go be careless.

maybe think before saying things in the way you have.
good luck
In fairness you didn't say any of that in your original post. BA's post will help the majority of riders who stumble across this forum thread, it's sound advice.
 
#17 ·
I think what burtonavenger said was completely reasonable. The only broken neck ive heard of from snowboarding was someone going inverted on an xl jump.

You will need a full face helmet for a neck roll to work, and they dont work that much anyway. Leatt wont work looking downhill on a snowboard as it restricts your head on that angle and it also requires a full face helmet. The reason people say they arent restrictive is because they are used in sports where you are looking forward. Id actually be more concerned about going down in powder and having my full face helmet packed in with snow and and a neck roll shoved in my mouth. The other thing to consider is the way you crash snowboarding and wearing a full face. There could be the potential for the mouth piece to grab into the snow and twist your head as youre rolling/sliding down. Maybe it wouldnt be an issue ive no idea, but it’s something that they wouldn’t have tested it for as they aren’t for snowboarding.
 
#24 ·
Most snowboard injuries are from sticking your arms out when you catch and edge, trying to break your fall. Basically, everything from wrist to shoulder is very high risk for injury. Other than that you have boot top fractures, lower leg injuries. Neck usually comes from hitting something, like a tree, fence, etc. or doing inverted aerial maneuvers. Spinal injuries are pretty rare unless you're really pushing yourself.

Having on gear that stops you from being able to look around and move freely can cause you to injure yourself when you normally wouldn't. Best thing you can do to avoid injury is know your limits and learn how to fall. But even then there's always a risk something freak could happen.

I think this thing is a waste of time and money, personally.
 
#25 ·
A couple things here… helmets don‘t actually prevent concussions, they reduce skull fractures.

The only time I’ve had a whiplash was with a helmet on. White-out with icy conditions and I caught an edge (which I hadn’t done in years, maybe decades). When I went down I had that CNS jolt, which seemed odd as it wasn’t that fast/hard. I got up and rode the rest of the day. Next day my neck was sore, on day two I couldn’t move it… went to the doctor and got a neck brace.

Those helmets with a face guard look heavy, more weight for your neck to support.

The neck brace inherently limits movement. I’d be more concerned about having a large blindspot on my backside. Collisions with other riders & skiers can be deadly… I’d prefer to avoid that.

I do wear a helmet (most people now do) and always include neck stretches before I go out... and if there’s a white out or it’s too icy, I just don’t go out. It’s not worth it.

😮 BA’s history… wow, just wow. 😮
 
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